What do you think of "starter dolls?"

My first doll was a "starter doll", so to speak, and I don't think the idea's terrible. I was eighteen or nineteen when I got her, and honestly, if I'd gotten one of my grail dolls that young, I would've been too intimidated to do anything with them. I didn't "feel bad" trying my first face-up on my Bobobie, instead of sending her away to someone with more experience, and that was something I worried about a lot at the time.

Ultimately, I don't think it's a terrible idea to ease into the hobby with something slightly more affordable if you're primarily interested in the really expensive dolls, especially to experiment on a little, but I don't think it's a /requirement/. Kaschan502 makes a good point, though--I probably could've done effectively the same thing by just buying a head, since face-ups were the biggest 'trial and error' bit for me.

 

I think that some people may want or need a starter doll, while others will not. It depends on the potential owner's temperament. People who want to jump in right away (or who don't have a lot of patience but have tons of enthusiasm) might love having a starter doll. I know people who have perseverance to make anything work for them, while others just don't have the patience for it and want to move on. I wouldn't recommend a starter doll to someone unless I knew them fairly well.

If I knew the person wanted to try modding and customizing right away and they did not have a lot of experience with comparable hobbies, I would recommend it, because the doll would be less expensive. Or I would recommend it if the person wasn't sure if the hobby was right for them. Because of the wider selection available, I think it is possible nowadays for almost anyone to find a doll in the lower price ranges they could connect with. I know I could.

But I have known a lot of BJD owners who treat their dolls meticulously and mainly just dress them and pose them (so the look of the doll is most important thing), and I would recommend to them to get the doll whose face "speaks" to them, a doll that they really connect with, even if they had to save a long time to get it.

Speaking for myself, I would never settle for a doll I didn't absolutely love. And when I was first looking at BJDs back in 2005, there were no inexpensive ones! My first BJD (Volks Link) was perfect for me, I would not have wanted to start my enthusiasm for this hobby with any other. I connect immediately with the dolls' faces and secondly with their body sculpts, and I do not settle for any doll, even now.

And I do not consider my Bobobie Weylin to be a starter doll. I fell madly in love with his winsome face and his quirky body right away, and he fits in perfectly with my existing resin family. I consider him to be an incredible bargain instead of a "cheap doll", and he is undoubtedly the best $185 I ever spent in the BJD world.

Linda S.
galatia9

 

I like the idea of starter dolls. I am getting one myself.

 

I think any mistakes you could make with your first doll could be avoided by doing enough research first. I don't like the idea of a starter doll because if you're only buying it for the price and not because you love it, it might be hard for you to 'bond', as they say, and you wont be really happy with it. I think you ought to get the doll you really want, and just be careful with it.

 

I dont need starter doll because i know what i want, but maybe secondhand doll is good to first if dosent sure this hobby.

 

I have to say, I don't have a doll yet.
I only want one doll. A special one. And there is no doll which exactly has what I want. I know, that I will have to do a lot of changing once I buy one to complete the one doll I want (or more like having someone to do the changes). But I know to, that the doll I want can't be completed with one of the cheaper "starter dolls", neither the bodys nor the heads will match the picture I have in mind.
So for myself I will never get a "starter doll".
Even more, because I feel that I would get frustrated and bored or even hate the doll, because he wouldn't and couldn't be the character I want.
I think the question, if a "starter doll" would make sense is more realted to the person itself, not if the person is new to the hobby. Sure, you could try more things, like restringing or doing face-up or modding yourself. But I think I'm not the only one who would get more frustrated with a doll I don't want, than with failing in something like restringing a more complicated doll. For something like modding... I won't even try to do this myself.

 

I think that any first doll is a starters doll. Personally, I couldn't buy a 'cheaper' doll just because if I messed it up, it wouldn't matter so much. When I love something enough, I'm careful with it, but it also motivates me to do things with it. If I don't like the doll, I'd just leave it to gather dust.
Besides, what gigias said, it's kind of insulting to have to standards for dolls: the 'official' once and the once you can 'mess up, 'cause it wouldn't matter'.

On the other hand; everyone is different. Some might feel uncomfortable to work on the doll they absolutely adore and feel safer to practice on something that doesn't mean quite as much to them (I'm not talking about cheaper vs expensive, I'm talking about preference). It's sensible to know for yourself what works for you, before you start buying anything.

 

I kinda wish I had gotten a starter doll. Maybe my pukifee wouldn't have a weird spot under her chin from complications of adjusting her new wig and eyes.

 

I'm somewhere in between. I want a cheaper doll so I can see if I'm going to take good care of it, but at the same time I'm worried about spending the money and then worried about not getting a doll that I like.

However, I am constantly gawking over all kinds of dolls. My friend who got me into the hobby says it's because I clearly don't care about BJDs and obviously don't want a doll so I should just stop talking to her about them and give up on them.
I'm actually pretty offended about it. I think it's more like, I haven't bought myself any because I can't afford it since I've been spending all my money buying stuff for her. I bought her a Miho head for 120$ plus s&h that she knew about, as well as two different sets of eyes, a shirt, piercings, and a couple of other little things that were a surprise. I also spent 300$ last month on a body that's currently on its way to her. :'D

Maybe when I get a new job I'll be more serious, but for now I'm cool with living vicariously through my friend.

 

If I had gotten a starter doll first, I may have ultimately been turned away from the hobby. I don't see the point in owning a doll I don't absolutely love and having one I just find okay may have lowered my expectations or at least started me off with disappointment. Plus I'd have no money to justify buying my dream doll (which I researched for months before buying).

However, I think a starter doll or practice doll would be the perfect idea if you want to mod/do faceups. I'd be horrified to experiment on my dream doll first.

 

Some of the parents I have told about BJD's (for their interest) has lead them to want to get their young children BJD's which then I just kind of jump back like "They're a bit too much for like a 6-year old to handle" but I cannot just tell a parent what they can and cannot get their kid So I try to explain to them all that gets done and it seems like they still want to but realize they are not ready. What I have wanted to suggest is maybe getting them like a monster high doll since I have heard some similarities and then they can get used to having a doll like a BJD that is really inexpensive and then you can tell how well the child will handle their dolls. ie if they will not drop them often or leave them in irresponsible positions (like somewhere they will get knocked off or fall over) or that they can treat their hair nicely (not cutting or yanking but keeping neat), etc. I think a good "starter" doll for much younger kids would be monster high dolls

 

They sound pretty cool! The only ones I really see though, are Limited Edition fullsets or second ads where the seller is basically giving you the things that contributed to their vision. And then there's some ebay sellers where some offer a free wig and outfit when you buy a doll. I really like that, but sadly none of their dolls come close to what I want in a doll. Those are the type of dolls I'd recommend to a new kid on the block who has limited funds and unsure of anything.

 

I didn't buy one for myself, but I do think that it can be beneficial to some people. My friend wants to do a lot of modding for her doll. She has experience with costuming and makeup, but not working with those skills on a resin doll. She got a pretty cheap doll to start off, one that she liked the mold of (but wasn't quite perfect), so that she could mod him without ruining a very expensive and possibly limited doll. She does want to keep the doll and is very excited about him coming, but he is basically a starter doll. My first physical doll is a limited but I didn't plan on modding him at all. If I did, I would definitely like to have something to practice on without ruining a more precious sculpt. And when I say modding in this post, I'm talking about cutting into the resin or adding massive burn scars. Advanced stuff like that. Face-ups are easy enough to wipe and start over with, so for that, I do think it's a bit of a waste to buy an entire doll you may never have really cared for at all and don't plan on using just to put on some blush and eyeshadow (and etc.).

Though I will say that trying to change out my first one's hands was a terrifying experience, haha. (I was scared to even breathe on him for fear of him breaking somehow. ...Then I learned.) Nothing I would have bought a starter doll for. That's just me, though.

 

I don't think that people new to the hobby should necessarily start with a cheaper doll with the idea in mind that it will be thier first and that they'll damage it so far. It's better to choose a doll that appeals to you and to do a lot of research, especially including going to doll meets if they can. If you're getting a doll that costs this much money, almost everyone does the research. This forum is full of tips to prevent damage and protect both dolls and owners.

That said, it's very hard to make the leap and buy that first doll. I know so many people that didn't like thier first one because of all kinds of reasons. One of the hardest parts is trying to figure out what size is best for your tastes. If you buy a mini because it's cheaper than an SD when you really want a larger doll, you're not going to be happy with your purchase. Or maybe you get a 'starter doll' but don't like how the joints look. All of my girls are single jointed but my cheapest girl doesn't have nice looking joints so I cover them up. My most expensive girl on the other hand, has beautifully scuplted joints with lots of little details. It's a matter of asthetics but it does affect what you think of the doll.

My first BJD, who I still have and love, was a bit of a starter doll. I was young, not yet in high school and without a job so money was a pretty big consideration. That being said, I still had been doing research for months and playing with my sister's MSD to make sure I was certain I wanted to get a BJD myself. So I understand the rationale of a cheap doll to start.

But like most everyone else who has commented, I have to say that you should never 'settle' for a more inexpensive doll. Get one you will enjoy. And if you're really worried about the cost, why not think about buying from the Marketplace? They are lots of wonderful dolls from all companies and in all sizes. Plus, sometimes they come with extras, so you can start playing around with them right away!

 

When I first started looking into BJDs I was contemplating getting either a PukiFee (Luna) or an Iplehouse BID (Elin), but then I came across my Resinsoul Ju- Alyss for sale on another forum, and fell instantly for her. I suppose she's considered a starter doll by many, but that's not the reason I purchased her.

I had done a fair bit of research, but one never knows how you'll get on with a new hobby, so I didn't want to spend a fortune on my first doll, but Alyss was honestly the first doll I felt I needed in my life. I love her sculpt, size and everything about her. If something should happen to her I know I'd be able to replace her easily, but I'm not sure I'd want to, as it wouldn't be the same.

 

I talk to a lot of people outside of the Hobby, and I often recommend a Bobobie Sprite as a great "starter doll". It is a wonderful face sculpt, very versatile, and not real expensive. I have had my dolls at various "non-hobby" displays, lectures, etc., and I have to say that even though I usually take a wide range of dolls of all price ranges and companies, the one doll the most people are drawn to is the little Sprite.
The best thing to do before you buy a doll is try to get to a meet-up, or a convention, to actually see the dolls in person. That way you have a better idea of what you're getting, since the company pictures can look so different than real life.
But if you can't, and if you aren't actively in the Hobby, it seems crazy to me to spend $500+ on a doll when you don't actually know if you are going to like being involved in the whole thing.
I know a lot of people have a much different way of looking at it (find the perfect doll, then save up to buy that one), and I think that's great if you are already aquainted with BJDs and you really know that you want to be involved. But if you are just getting your toes wet, and don't really know if you're going to like it or not, and like me, you do not have a built-in local BJD community- I think a "starter doll" is an excellent way to get introduced.

 

That's an good point about getting introduced to the hobby!

I might quibble with one thing though - I think there are a fair number of people who aren't actually interested in getting involved with "the whole thing" (both in terms of community and in terms of customization). For someone whose desire for a BJD comes from wanting an attractive doll to look at/display/photograph but isn't interested in modifications (or even costuming) I think a higher-priced fullset can be an equally excellent introduction.

 

I want to get one of the cheaper dolls on my want list first just so I know I actually want to be in this hobby and it isn't a phase (even though I've spent a long time researching and just quietly being here)
I don't think someone should settle for a human doll first though, like me getting a RS Li, which I don't know if I want to get, than a RS Ming, whom I know I want, just because the Li would be easier to re-string.
No matter what, re-stringing is going to be a new thing for a first time doll owner, and I'm not too personally worried about how hard the Ming would be to restring compared to the Li.

 

I love dolls of many prices.

If I want a doll, I get it when I can afford it. I think everyone should feel they have the right to buy what doll they like if they can afford it.

I dislike all the thoughts about certain companies making "cheap" or "starter" dolls just because they sell dolls at reasonable prices. There are plenty of inexperienced doll companies selling dolls for outrageous prices but nobody considers them "cheap" or "starter" dolls.

 

I'm not really what prices people consider "starter" dolls, but I'm saving up for my first doll now. And this exact thing is really tough to make a decision on. All my planned crew will be based on characters. I'm trying to decide between a Soom Taco (~$400-$500 secondhand), an Impldoll Iris (~$300), and an ebony Iplehouse Ryan (~$500). I'm most excited about the Ryan, less excited about the Taco, and least excited about Iris. (I AM excited about all of them, just at varying levels!) It's difficult for me to make a choice because if I get Ryan, that's a huge chunk of money to jump into the hobby with. However, if I got the Iris, perhaps I'd be able to bond more with her as we saved for Ryan NEXT. Taco's just hanging out in the middle.

I feel I kind of deviated from the topic, but what I'm trying to convey is that it's a TOUGH decision when you're just beginning in a hobby that despite how much research is done, still requires hands-on experience. Do you go with something less expensive, in order to learn with something less "precious", for lack of a better word? Or do you just jump all in, whipping out the wallet and writing a check for X amount of dollars?